Exorcist Servant: Demon Hunter

In the abandoned house, Caleb sat on the rotting floor, head bowed, eyes closed.Impossible, none of this can be true.

But things backfired: the reality was this bloody nightmare.The air he inhaled smelled of rat droppings, dust, and dried blood, with stale car exhaust and his own sweat.Rough cloth against his skin.He ran his fingers slowly across the grain of the old hardwood floor, desperately trying to distract himself from the fact that he couldn't escape the most.

The monster inside him.

The desire to hunt grew in his chest, as if a bound falcon beat his ribs madly with its wings.The smell of putrefaction in the air was in his nostrils, making him sick... but something inside him seemed interested in it, like smelling a damn filet mignon.But the smell has gradually faded, and they have to stand up and track down the owner of the smell, they have to hunt for food——

Oh, God.The demon had killed Ben, and now it was trying to drive him crazy too.

"Why should I kill your brother? Humans are not prey."

"Shut up," he whispered through chapped lips, "shut up, shut up, shut up."

There are no words to describe the feeling of it moving through his body.It was like being in the same dark room with a very large, very dangerous tiger.Even though he couldn't see it, he could still feel its presence... and every now and then it would brush against his body as it paced softly, reminding him that it could kill him at any time.Maybe it's not very hungry right now, but whenever it wants something to eat or is just bored, it'll pounce on him and—

"Hey."

Startled, Caleb opened his eyes.His glasses were lying on the ground a few meters away, the frames were broken and the lenses were broken, and his shattered mobile phone lay next to the dead body.But none of this mattered, because now everything in his field of vision was crystal clear, and his eyesight was better than with glasses.

It—the demon—had changed him.Cured his nearsightedness.

What else would it do to him?

The first government lackey had drawn a circle around him with chalk, and now there was another bloody wunderkind squatting at the other end of that circle, maybe a few feet away.The new agent was wearing a dark suit, a long woolen coat that trailed on the dirty floor, and his pair of eye-catching leather shoes.His hair was cut short, but not to the point of cropping, and the dark brown accentuated his stunning blue eyes.

In fact, he's pretty darn good looking for a magician.It's stupid enough to think about such things at this time.

"I'm Special Agent Starkweather," the man said, flashing him a smile as bright as his eyes. "You can call me John. Can I call you Caleb?"

"It's up to you." He doesn't need any magic stick to play psychological tactics with him.He's had enough of that demon, thank you very much.Caleb was about to tell the guy to fuck off, but the thing inside him moved, as if something had caught its attention.

This agent is not his friend, not only will he be arrested back to the SPECTR headquarters, but he will also be included in the tracking list at the first time... But now, he is Caleb's only hope.

"No problem, just call me Caleb."

"Nice to meet you, Caleb," Starkweather said, as if they'd met at some shitty cocktail party. "I'm an exorcist from SPECTR. Want to check my badge?"

"No need." Is this guy flirting with him? "An exorcist came before. It's of no use."

"That's why they brought me here." Starkweather smiled confidently, making his blue eyes shine.Why is everything he sees so bright and colorful? "Can you tell me what happened?"

"I've told your people five times!" Caleb broke his voice in anger, swallowing hard. "I just want to get rid of this thing."

"I know." For a moment, the exorcist looked like he wanted to touch him, but changed his mind.Maybe he couldn't walk into this chalk-drawn circle?

A circle drawn with blood, an old man, torches with pale flames—

Caleb blinked quickly, and a whimper escaped his mouth.What the hell? "Help me. Please?"

"I will." Another radiant smile, he's not interested in a magician, damn it. "do not worry."

Caleb snorted. "What else should I worry about?"

The agent smiled apologetically, "Yeah, well, I was asking too much. But you don't have to be afraid. You are only possessed for a few hours. Unless the demon possesses you for more than forty days, it is all It can be saved."

"Oh." At least this guy knows what to do.But the culprit in all of this is SPECTR.If they had started the investigation when Ben's body disappeared, all the trouble now would not have happened.Caleb wouldn't know Melanie's crazy friends, wouldn't be possessed, and wouldn't be in the government's sights.The best ending left for him now is to be followed and monitored like a prisoner for the rest of his life, even if the demon has been expelled from his body.

As for the worst ending...he didn't even want to think about it.

"I'll help you," the detective reassured.

"Hanging with a hook?" Caleb chokes back, because he just can't keep his mouth shut when he should be talking.

"Hook and hang," Starkweather agreed, raising his hand to Caleb and winking at him. "Just wait. We'll get this sorted out quickly."

The agent stood up, inspected the circle for a moment, then picked up the more than half-melted candle left by the previous exorcist.The exorcist in the front was more in line with Caleb's image of a magician: humorless, stern and cold.Hell, he almost looked terrified by what he saw, especially when he chanted some wax and it didn't work.He also glared at Caleb like it was Caleb's fault.

This bastard.

Starkweather opened a black nylon bag and produced four purple candles.Looking at where they were placed, Caleb felt that he was coming in the four directions of east, west, east, and west.

Extinguished candles, cold and lifeless, scattered beside the sarcophagus, the human beings who lit them are long gone.

Another memory that didn't belong to him.

Starkweather then produced a dagger, the silver plating on the blade gleaming.Cautiously avoiding the chalk marks, he stepped into the circle and came to Caleb's side. "My exorcism procedure may not be the same as Agent McNamara's, but don't worry too much," he said. "The most important thing for an exorcist is to concentrate, everything else is just details."

"I don't mind if you sing Jingle Bells while you're holding the jack, as long as it works."

Starkweather grinned, "I hope things don't get so bad. I'm often confused by those few words." He walked to the candle that Caleb thought represented "East", lit it, and then He raised his silver knife and drew a symbol in the air.Something burst into blue sparks; Caleb squinted to make out a faint talisman mark flickering in the air.

What the hell is this?Could he have seen this thing a few hours ago?Or was this just another side effect of the demon getting into his head?

"Guardian of the East, God of Qi, I summon you." Starkweather said.His voice was calm, commanding without being overbearing. "Shelter this area with your winds; nothing can come in or out."

He held out his dagger and drew a quarter circle from this candle to the next candle.The blue light followed the trajectory he drew, suspended in mid-air.Caleb wondered if he should tell Starkweather he could see this.

Starkweather did the same next to each candle, lighting the wick, summoning the elemental gods and drawing the talisman, and then drawing a quarter circle.Caleb could feel something inside him watching through his eyes, but not fear or anxiety.Just plain... curious.

That's never a good sign.

When Starkweather returned to the position of the first candle, he joined the two ends of the circle with precision.Blue flames danced across Caleb's renewed vision, ending in a flaming barrier around the chalk line.

Another exorcist didn't conjure this thing.Perhaps the devil hadn't modified his body to see the barrier then?Or did it not want to watch it at all?

It doesn't matter, as long as it works.After finishing the circle, the magician lit a handful of what looked like herbs, and circled Caleb while waving the herbs, enveloping him in a cloud of smoke.Caleb closed his eyes and took a deep breath of the air that smelled of dust, sage, and smoke.It works, it has to work.

Starkweather stood before him.Caleb looked up, blinking against the light.The agent gave him a final reassuring smile and produced two glass bottles from his bag.One is marked "Color Water" and the other...

It was about the size of a beer bottle, but it was so dark that no light could penetrate it.A silver wire was looped around the neck of the bottle, and above it hung a charm and a seal of clay and lead, with obscure symbols drawn on it.

This is a "spirit bottle".Caleb knew nothing about exorcisms other than what he saw in the movies.If the stuff of Hollywood is to be believed, Starkweather is next to force the demon out of Caleb's body and into that bottle.He will seal it securely within until those who destroy it throw it into the blazing fire of the furnace, destroying the daemon forever.

"I'm not a demon."

The smell of sage irritated his now oversensitive nose; his eyes began to water.The thing in him didn't look too happy about it either.good thing.

Starkweather sprinkled some toilet water on Caleb, and the scent of orange blossom combined with the incense of sage.Great, he's going to smell like New Age Store when he goes back out here.

①New Age, a new type of witchcraft that has been popular in the West since modern times, such as astrology and meditation music, the exorcism ritual of the detectives here is very close to New Age witchcraft. The "New Age Store" refers to the place where such items of witchcraft are sold.

The demon inside him moved again, now with a hint of irritation mixed with its curiosity.Is it a good sign to bother the devil?Please, it must be a good sign.

The agent towered over him, dagger in hand.Blue sparks danced on the blade, lighting up the silver brilliance. "Spiritual body! You are not welcome here. Leave this person and don't disturb him any more."

Starkweather held out his right hand as he spoke, hovering over Caleb's forehead.Caleb felt a little pressure coming from there, a string of electricity running through his skin.

Then the thing in him began to rise, pass through him, and all was at peace.